How to sell tickets on eBay vs. StubHub

by Brandon

If your goal is to learn how to become a ticket broker, the first question you might ask yourself is, “Where is the best place to sell my tickets?” Unlike most questions you’ll ask yourself as a newbie ticket broker, this one has an answer that is short and sweet: eBay and StubHub. Although they’re both owned by the same company, selling sports and concert tickets will be a different experience depending on where you choose to sell. In this post, I’ll go over the pros and cons of selling on each site, and I’ll explain how I use both eBay and StubHub as different tools to get to the same goal: profit.

Let me break down each site for you:

Listing Styles

This is probably the biggest difference between the two sites. Whereas eBay eBay offers both fixed-price and auction-style listings, StubHub only allows you to sell your tickets as a fixed-price listing. (Trivia: StubHub actually used to offer auction-style listings, but they discontinued it in October 2009. I heard it was a total mess anyway, so we aren’t missing much.) In practice, though, you should never use eBay’s auction-style option unless you absolutely have to. When I first started selling concert tickets online, I thought I would let the market decide the price of my tickets and just list all my tickets as auctions.

Big mistake.

Very big. What ended up happening is that my tickets would sell for absolute market bottom prices. (This is why eBay is so popular–items sold as auctions almost always sell cheap!) So, in practice, always sell your tickets as fixed price listings, whether on eBay or StubHub. The only time you should ever consider selling your tickets as auctions is when the event is less than 2 weeks away and you absolutely need to get rid of them.

Listing Designs (and lack thereof)

This is another huge difference between selling tickets on eBay and StubHub. If you search for Yankees tickets on eBay, you would find sellers using all sorts of pretty colors and photos trying to entice you to click on their listing. If you make the same search on StubHub, all you’ll see is a plain list of the Yankees upcoming games and dates. Buying tickets on StubHub is a better experience than on eBay because it’s so much more organized, but as a seller it can be hard to stand out. Look out for future posts where I’ll explain the best way to make sure your listings stand out on StubHub.

Fees

Yeah, fees suck. They’ll eat you up on both sites whether you like it or not, but the lesson here is that eBay has lower fees than StubHub, and by a pretty good margin (about 93% vs. 85%). Although eBay charges a listing fee while StubHub doesn’t, this is minimal compared to the Final Value fee that StubHub charges. I’ll give you an example: If you sold 2 tickets for $400, your listing on eBay would net you about $372 whereas your StubHub listing would net you only $340. For one auction this might not seem like much, but if you add it all up at the end of a year, the difference in fees will easily reach thousands of dollars. But, there is one counterbalancing factor…

Shipping costs

Short and sweet: Sellers on StubHub get free FedEx Shipping; sellers on eBay do not. This difference won’t totally neutralize the difference in fees, but it’ll definitely make selling on StubHub a lot easier. Although shipping tickets on eBay can be super cheap and reliable, free FedEx shipping is a sweet deal. This also ties into another difference between eBay and StubHub:

Getting paid

Receiving money for tickets you sold on eBay is straightforward:

You list the tickets

Buyer buys your tickets

You receive payment through Paypal

You ship the tickets

Getting paid for tickets you sold on StubHub, well…not so simple. On StubHub, shipping and payment are one and the same. The process looks more like this:

You list the tickets

Buyer buys your tickets

StubHub provides you with a FedEx shipping label that you attach to your envelope

Drop your envelope with the tickets in a FedEx Drop Box

StubHub pays you via Paypal one week after tickets are scanned and delivered by FedEx

The upside of StubHub’s method is that everything is automated. There is no need to worry about deadbeat buyers or getting paid the right amount of any of that. And speaking of dealing with buyers:

Buyer/Seller Communication

You probably know that potential buyers on eBay can contact the seller directly and ask them any question they want at any time. Not so on StubHub. StubHub allows absolutely ZERO communication between the buyer and the seller, no exceptions. You can’t even tell the buyer to enjoy the show. Nothing. This is just another way StubHub maintains total control over every transaction, which helps to ensure everything will go smoothly. If you absolutely need to speak to the buyer, you would need to contact StubHub and ask them to contact the buyer.

Overall

Looking at my records, my profits are about split 50/50 between my tickets sold on eBay and StubHub, so there is no clear “winner” between them. Your own business strategy will dictate how much profit you gain from each. If you’re looking to maximize how much money you make from selling tickets online, though, your best bet is to sell on both.

I’m considering giving this a try and have been doing my research. Your website already seems to be the best resource online as far as teaching newcomers how to navigate this business. I was wondering- did you ever sell tickets on craigslist? If not, why would you advise against it?

I’ve tried to sell tickets on Craigslist, but those tickets never actually sold. The problem with Craigslist is that you have no way of knowing whether buyers will actually buy. There is far less trust in sellers because Craigslist offers no accountability between buyers and sellers, so your tickets end up selling for much less than they could have on eBay or StubHub.

It’s not that I advise against buying on Craigslist, but it should be a last-ditch attempt to unload your tickets, only after eBay and StubHub have failed.

I’m thinking of buying 3 tickets for $300 each to the vma’s (video music awards ) for tomorrow night at the Barkley Center in bBrooklyn NY for my daughter and her friends . I’m texting someone on Craig’s list who is selling them. Any suggestions for us to determine if they are real ?
This is the info I have so far :
” 3 tix lower 17 row 17 300 each” cash only .
I asked this person if they could send me a picture of the tickets and they said
“I can receipt. Don’t like sending pics of the tix ”
Do you have any suggestions so we do get scammed ?
Thanks
Barry
203.770.5587Barry@floormaxusa.com

I’m thinking of buying 3 tickets for $300 each to the vma’s (video music awards ) for tomorrow night at the Barkley Center in Brooklyn NY for my daughter and her friends . I’m texting someone on Craig’s list who is selling them. Any suggestions for us to determine if they are real ?
This is the info I have so far :
” 3 tix lower 17 row 17 300 each” cash only .
I asked this person if they could send me a picture of the tickets and they said
“I can receipt. Don’t like sending pics of the tix ”
Do you have any suggestions so we do get scammed ?
Thanks
Barry
203.770.5587

Thanks for the article, Brandon. I used ebay when I was in school, and it worked great for me and my roommates I would like to introduce the application I am partnered with that allows you to sell tickets online. You can go to http://www.ticketbud.com and sell unlimited tickets online to your event for a $19.99 flat-fee. Guests register, pay and print tickets online. You track and manage ticket sales and keep the proceeds.

This is great for you guys if you are putting on your own event, selling raffle tickets, collecting dues for your organization, putting on a yoga class etc…

I just wanted to make you guys aware of my services and would be happy to answer any questions at all you may have about our application. I know people are smart enough to throw their own events now and can bring in more proceeds with an affordable overhead cost.

Here’s an interesting question I can’t find an answer to. Why can’t you list same tickets on both sites (EBay and Stubhub) at the same time. Stubhub and Ebay both allow you to cancel auctions at will, so unless they have some people policing it, have at it.

I’m new at this and I know you say both are about the same. Will more people go to ebay or stubhub to buy their tickets. Which name pops up first in buyer’s minds. I am more comfortable with ebay but I buy most my tickets on stubhub. Just wanted your opinion.

NEVER SELL TICKETS ON EBAY!!!!! BIG FRAUD HOLE BETWEEN EBAY AND PAYPAL, SELLERS ARE NOT PROTECTED AT ALL!!!

I am a regular seller for NBA tickets and, as you may know, some NBA teams only issue pdf tickets (no hard copy tickets). This becomes a problem for playoffs, since they do not release tickets until the game is going to be played for sure, some times there is less than 48 from game to game, which leaves a very short period of time to deliver the tickets on time to the buyer.

You may think that emailing tickets is the best option then (plus all the shipping savings). I did too. However, if you email tickets, you are not covered under PayPal eBuyer protection policy and here is my personal experience:

I sold 2 tickets on eBay for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. After buyer paid, I immediatly left positive feedback and emailed him the tickets (I sold the tickets on 5/30 at 8.00 pm and Game 1 was set for 5/31 at 9.00 pm). Of course, I emailed them with prood of delivery and acceptance and I asked the buyer to let me know if he received the tickets and was able to print them. Soon after, I received an email from him saying “Got them! Thank you very much, I will leave positive feedback tomorrow after the game”.

The morning after the game, I received a notification from PayPal saying that the buyer disputed the transaction and asked me to proof that I emailed the tickets. I attached all the emailed we exchanged as well as the eBay messages. They automatically reverse the payment. I called them and they told me that they can’t protect me because I didn’t mail the tickets with a tracking number and signature requirement from the buyer! Therefore, they can’t give me my money back.

I contacted another seller that left feedback for the same buyer and he told me that the same happened to him the same day that it happened to me.

As a result, here is my suggestion: NEVER SELL TICKETS ON EBAY (when talking to PayPal they told me so, because they can’t cover sellers. They even told me that if you mail them with a tracking number and the buyer claims after the game that the tickets were not good, etc. They will take the buyer’s side)

And finally, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE MONEY, follow one of these two advices I learnt from eBay and PayPal (I even told them this and they told me they won’t be able to do anything against it):

1. Buy tickets on eBay that are delivered by email and sell them on Stubhub. After the game is over, dispute the transaction on PayPal and you will get your money back, no questions ask! Basically, you are selling tickets on Stubhub at no cost.

2. List as many items on eBay as you want and once they sell and you receive payment, mail two blank pages thorugh Fedex, USPS or any other courier service company. If you don’t forget to add a tracking number, you may be protected by PayPal’s protection program!!

Option 1 seems easier (based on what happened to me).

I honestly think that this is ridiculous and that eBay and PayPal should not be protecting fraudulent activity, but when I called them the only answer I got was “Sorry, we can’t do anything for you. We do not cover digital goods”. If they can’t protect sellers that sell digital goods, they should not allow us to sell them in their websites.

Same thing happened to me. Out $2,000 over Miami Heat tickets. I even provided ebay with all the information I had about who stole my tickets and resold them fraudulently. They say ohh we will look into it. Even though I have used ebay for 10 years with 100% positive feedback, power seller, top rated seller they honestly do not care about you at all. All it is about is whether you have a signature or not. DO NOT SELL TICKETS ON EBAY unless you ship them with a signature.

I’m thinking of buying 3 tickets for $300 each to the vma’s (video music awards ) for tomorrow night at the Barkley Center in bBrooklyn NY for my daughter and her friends . I’m texting someone on Craig’s list who is selling them. Any suggestions for us to determine if they are real ?
This is the info I have so far :
” 3 tix lower 17 row 17 300 each” cash only .
I asked this person if they could send me a picture of the tickets and they said
“I can receipt. Don’t like sending pics of the tix ”
Do you have any suggestions so we do get scammed ?
Thanks
Barry
203.770.5587Barry@floormaxusa.com

Ship stubhub and cancel ebay transaction. You can get penalized for not sending stubhub. Though, SH still gives you the option to notify them you no longer have the tickets prior to making he transaction irrevocable.

Tks to David and all sellers here who are sharing their experiences.
Here’s a suggestion:
since Ebay and Paypal doesn’t protect us, why don’t sellers who have been scammed by these scammer-buyers gather up and list all the names of all these cheats so other sellers can see.
List:
Buyer name, no. of occurrence on this buyer (add on to the number)
Date of post of seller is the date of the most recent occurence on this buyer.

Hi!
I`m currently trying to buy hard tickets for a concert from someone on eBay. I asked the seller whether they can send me the pictures of the tickets so I know that they really exist, but I received a reply saying that eBay tells the sellers not to post the pictures of the actual tickets?

Is this true??

Also, they offer expedited shipping and local pick up. When I contacted the seller they actually agreed to reciveing cash as well?

It’s true that eBay tells sellers not to post pictures of actual tickets. That’s because of the barcode on the tickets.

If this picture is lifted, a duplicate ticket with the barcode could be made. When one enters the event, whichever ticket is scanned and because only one patron will be admitted per ticket, the person with the other ticket (whichever one) will be turned away.

If you took a picture of the tickets, blurred out the bar code, and then listed them on Ebay, would that work? Looking at Ebay, I see that very few sellers are doing that. If I’m looking for tickets, knowing with a glance that someone has actual physical tickets, this would be a big plus in my mind.

In this age of Twitter, You Tube, Facebook, Instant Messaging and e-Harmony it is somewaht rerasusing that the live experience can be so much in demand. The ultimate experience for the entertainment consumer is not the I-Pod Shuffle but I Can’t Wait to Go and See ___!The Entertainer has to be careful not to alienate his or her audience with a rigged ticket system.

Hi Brandon – I just have a quick question for you. I don’t want to become a broker but am in possession of two tickets for a concert in January that I can’t make – can you recommend the best avenue to pursue for this….does ebay or stubhub work better for that situation? Thanks – appreciate any advice.

HI i like to know how to learn more about to selling the ticket and how to make the chart about that issue my i send the all data what support me to selling the ticket and to be best on that please send that data in order to br more best in this issue on my website thanks

I won very expensive tickets to a New Years Eve concert, Pink Martini, front orch. I was told I can pick-up the tickets early at will call, but I do not have them in my hands. I won them from the local tv station and already spoke to people at the music hall so the source is very credible. Can I list them with just the location, not the row and seat? Should I wait until I am holding the tickets, because time is getting close. Any advice, I have never bought or sold tickets before.

Question: how does StubHub or TicketsNow protect a seller from a buyer who uses a ticket and then that buyer claims it’s fraudulent?

I have been reading some horror stories on various websites from sellers who say StubHub screwed them over when a buyer claimed the tickets weren’t good for entry. Some sellers are saying they were automatically charged fees on their credit cards to cover “replacement tickets” for the buyer.

Thanks for the article, very helpful. I was wondering if PayPal still takes out its 2.9% fee when using stubhub. You said that you get paid from PayPal after your tickets are delivered, but does the payment they give you for the full amount that you sold the tickets for, or minus the paypal fee of 2.9%?

I have several very good seats for Madonnas concert in Yankee stadium (on the field) The concert is 6 months away and I obviously want to maximize profit. Is there an ideal time to start placing the listing?

Also, I got 2 VIP packages from Live Nation, after the purchase there was a biline stating positive photo idea matching the name on the ticket must be presented or the holder will be turned away. Is this legal? I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH LIVE NATION again

I almost bought a $350 VIP ticket to One Direction from Live Nation, but at the last second noticed some fine print that said you could not resell tickets. I’m 45 years old, what the hell am I going to do with a 1D ticket if not re-sell it? I’m guessing it’s perfectly legal, but it still sucks.

If you took a picture of the tickets, blurred out the bar code, and then listed them on Ebay, would that work? Looking at Ebay, I see that very few sellers are doing that. If I’m looking for tickets, knowing with a glance that someone has actual physical tickets, this would be a big plus in my mind.

We are new to the business and are not selling a lot of tickets but I just have one question. How do you put the icon on your ebay site showing Section/Row on the picture posting when you first pull up tickets? I can’t find this anywhere. Your help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

my husband and I have wrestlamania 29 tix for april 7th for sale! great seats in the metlife stadium in NJ and asking great price, for 2 people, anyone interested send me a message thru my email thanks!

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hi there, you know if you are seeling a festival ticket on ebay , i was just wondering wether you had to have permission to sell this as i have tried doing it myself and they have told me that i have violated ebay whenall i did was the same as the rest of the peoplewho have listed other tickets for thisfestival It also said i need tro register with subhub?If you could possibly help me out?

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